Modern electronic thin-film devices use layers of conductors and insulators as the current-carrying structures of such devices. The dielectric (insulator) layers are often composed of silicon-containing materials such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. As the requirements of such devices become more demanding, there is a need for improved dielectric materials, having lower dielectric constants compared to the silicon-containing materials.
Fluoropolymers can have excellent dielectric properties. However, the methods to deposit thin films of such polymers are limited. In certain cases, the polymers can be made soluble in selected solvents, and so thin films can be formed by processes commonly used for, e.g. photoresist materials. However, the attributes of the polymer to produce solubility may not be the most desirable ones for dielectric applications. In other cases, emulsions or slurries of fine polymer particles can be applied to the device, and films produced by removing the solvent carrier and then heat treating the particles to produce a film. However, forming a uniform film by such methods with the desired properties may not be straightforward.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have alternative methods to form the fluoropolymer layers. In particular, thin-film-processing industries frequently use chemical vapor deposition methods to deposit the present dielectric materials It would thus be particularly desirable to have chemical vapor deposition means for fluoropolymer dielectric deposition.